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Browsing by Subject "Toddlers"

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
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    Language environments in toddler classrooms: the contribution of setting, teacher, and child variables.
    (2010-06) Hickey, Meghan C.
    This study sought to ascertain to ascertain the relative contribution of setting, teacher, and child variables to the prediction of the amount of language teachers used in their toddler classrooms as well as the amount of engaged conversations they had with children. The Language ENvironment Analysis (LENA) system, Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS) and Teacher Beliefs Scale (TBS) were used. Child variables included age, gender, and disability, English language learner, and poverty (tuition subsidy) status. Results indicated that classroom quality, teacher education and experience, teacher pedagogy, and the percentage of tuition subsidy students in the classroom predicted adult word rates; however, they were not significant independent predictors. No significant relationships were found for conversational turns. Study limitations and implications for policy and practice are discussed.
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    The Phenomenon of Baby Sign Language: A Signing System Used With Toddlers
    (2016) Ferry, Melinda G
    Baby Sign Language (BSL) used with young children with typical hearing abilities is a popular phenomenon with many parents. A number of Baby Sign Language studies claim that BSL improves children's abilities to communicate their needs and wants with their parents along with other potential benefits, too. Although BSL continues in popularity, a number of studies dispute the claims made about the benefits of using BSL. The researcher/teacher from a Midwestern college childcare program conducted this pre-experimental quantitative study. The purpose of the study was to determine if a teaching unit on BSL used as an educational intervention with a group of toddlers ranging in age from 16 monthsof- age to 35 months-of-age has an effect on their communication skills according to the parent's perspectives of their experiences of their children at home. The researcher/teacher was interested in the data collected from the study participants that included two fathers and nine mothers who completed both a pre-study survey and a post-study survey. The number of participants in the study was inconsistent since fourteen parents completed the pre-study survey (two fathers and twelve mothers) and eleven parents completed the post-study survey (two fathers and nine mothers). The foundation of this study was the research completed by Thompson, Cotnoir-Bichelman, McKeerchar, Tate, and Dancho (2007). In the current study, many parents found using BSL "helpful” for assisting young children with their communication skills. Many parents used BSL with their toddlers at home some time between their toddler's first and second birthdays and before their children were talking. The parent's motivation to use BSL with their children lessened once their children orally communicated more effectively. This was consistent with some studies who found there was a short window of time when parents used BSL with their children. The use of BSL dropped off once their children became effective oral communicators. The current research found some effect on the toddler's communication skills with the children learning and using BSL, although the results were not statistically significant.
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    The role of parental reflective functioning in promoting attachment for children of depressed mothers in a toddler-parent psychotherapeutic intervention
    (2011-09) Vrieze, Danielle Marie
    Parental reflective functioning (PRF) refers to a parent's ability to interpret and reflect upon her child's mental states (e.g., thoughts, feelings, emotions, desires) and underlying behaviors, and relate them to her own thoughts, feelings, and behaviors (Slade, Bernbach, Grienenberger, Lev, & Locker, 2005a). The purpose of the present study was to explore the potential role of maternal reflective functioning in promoting attachment security among depressed mothers and their toddlers involved in a toddler-parent psychotherapy (TPP) intervention program. Children of depressed mothers have an increased likelihood of negative developmental outcomes, including disrupted attachment relationships with their primary caregivers (Cicchetti, Rogosch, & Toth, 1998). Toddler-parent psychotherapy has been demonstrated to significantly improve attachment security among this vulnerable population (Cicchetti, Toth, & Rogosch, 1999); however the mechanism underlying its efficacy is unclear. This study examined PRF and attachment status of 160 mother-toddler dyads. Among dyads, participant groups included: non-depressed control (NC) mothers (n = 62), depressed control (DC) mothers (n = 52), and depressed intervention (DI) mothers (n = 46) who participated in an 18 month TPP intervention program. Results showed no differences in PRF among the subject groups at either baseline or follow-up (post intervention) periods, suggesting no effect of TPP on PRF. Furthermore, results show that PRF does not account for the efficacy of TPP in improving attachment among toddlers of depressed mothers. PRF was, however, associated with educational attainment of mothers, regardless of participant group status. Research examining the construct of PRF is relatively new and therefore limited. Results of the present study are presented in light of previous research findings. The potential benefits and limitations of PRF as a construct, particularly for examining attachment and other developmental processes, are discussed.
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    Too Important to Ignore: A Post-Intentional Phenomenological Investigation of Teaching Pre-Service Early Childhood Teachers About Infants and Toddlers
    (2016-05) Pearson, Jolene
    A watershed of knowledge about how very young children learn and develop has been revealed through the science of child development. The science of child development has demonstrated that immediately from birth, babies need supportive relationships and responsive environments in order to build strong brain circuits and lay the foundations for both physical and mental health. Increasingly very young children (under three years of age) in the United States depend on early childhood teachers for their care and education. Studies of early childhood teacher preparation programs, that focused on preparing teachers of children from birth to grade three, have found that pre-service students may not take even one course about infants and toddlers (birth to three years of age) or that the coverage of infants and toddlers is marginalized within the curriculum. This post-intentional phenomenological study (Vagle, 2014) examined the phenomena of how infant and toddler content might take shape in bachelor’s degree (BA/BS) programs that offer Early Childhood teacher (birth to grade three) licensure in Minnesota. The phenomenon was studied though investigating the experiences of six faculty members who teach courses about infants and toddlers and seven staff members of university-sponsored child development centers who host students in their classrooms as an infant or toddler practicum connected to the courses taught by the faculty. Findings from this study are depicted through six tentative manifestations of the phenomenon: Swimming against the Current, Complexity, Un-like, Mentoring Students, Perspectives on Parents and Beyond Standards. The tentative manifestations were produced as a synthesis of the experience of faculty and staff: attending to the Minnesota Board of Teaching’s Early Childhood Teacher Preparation Standards (87100:3000); in dialogue with participants’ personal preparation, experiences, beliefs, and convictions; in consideration of the demographics of the pre-service students; and in response to current information and issues within early childhood education. This research contributes to an understanding of how infant toddler content took shape in five early childhood teacher preparation programs and also yielded significant practical implications for teaching pre-service teacher candidates about infants and toddlers.